


Trying

by androktasia



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Gen, masterversary, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26223403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androktasia/pseuds/androktasia
Summary: Sometimes, the Doctor and her friends don't always succeed in their adventures.Written for thisprompt.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30
Collections: Masterversary Mini Event 2020-21





	Trying

“ _Get in_ ,” Yaz screamed, clutching the door of the TARDIS and stretching out her hand to grasp Ryan’s. The Doctor had her arm slung over his shoulder, and held the front of his jacket tight with a white-knuckled fist. As Ryan got within reach, Yaz dragged the two of them in and slammed the door shut, dampening only slightly the awful chattering noise of the reptilian horde chasing them.

She sank back against the door, feeling them thud against it, unable to stop their momentum. Her heart felt like it was going to explode, and she couldn’t stop shivering, blood rushing through her ears in a black roar.

“Doc, you’re bleeding,” she heard Graham say from further inside the TARDIS.

The Doctor shook her head. “I’m fine,” she gasped, bending slightly at the waist and stumbling slowly to the console.

He limped after her. “You’re _clearly_ not okay,” he said, reaching for her hand. “We’ve got to get you fixed up.”

“No, we’ve got to _go_ ,” she snapped, and Graham recoiled, a flash of hurt crossing his face. The Doctor leant over the console, locking her arms to steady her weight. “I’ve only been mildly stabbed,” she said lightly, and let out a long breath, dropping her head. “I’m not dying.”

But her voice had cracked, and the front of her torso was entirely covered with blood – some of it had even stained her hair, somehow – and all Yaz could think was that she looked like a walking corpse. 

“You’re shaking like a leaf,” Graham said, voice low. Yaz noted that, while he kept his hands open, he didn’t reach out to touch the Doctor again. “Ryan,” he added carefully, “go to the medical bay and find us some bandages, would you son?”

Ryan started, but dashed off quickly.

Yaz’s heartbeat had slowed enough that she felt able to breathe properly again. “Does he even know where it is?” she asked, pushing away from the door and joining the other two at the console. She pushed back her hair, which was clinging to her forehead in cold sweaty strands, wiping her face roughly with her sleeve.

The Doctor flashed a small, tight smile at her. “How could he forget? The last time we ran into the Master, remember we had to replace all his blood? He’s spent hours in that room.”

Yaz grimaced. That had been a particularly gruesome encounter. “Not sure we won’t have to do the same for you now, though,” she said.

Something flickered across the Doctor’s face and she pushed herself off the console. “I’ll be okay,” she said dully, and reached her hand up to pull a lever on the console. She’d stretched too far though, and groaned, collapsing forward and clutching her stomach. Yaz darted to catch her as she staggered, lowering her to the ground.

“We’ve got to go,” the Doctor said again with a huff of breath, looking up at the distant screen. It showed an image feed of the outside of the TARDIS, the creatures crawling over it, scratching and screeching. She closed her eyes and mumbled, “They’re still trying to get in.”

“Tell us how we can help,” Yaz said. “We’ll fly it for you!”

Graham came up next to them, and Yaz looked up at him desperately. His eyebrows were drawn closely together. “You said those doors could hold back anything,” he said.

The Doctor jerked her head. “They can. We’re safe. It’s just–” Her mouth twisted. “The noise.” 

As she said it, the percussive orchestra of the beasts outside seemed to amplify, their _thuds_ and _raps_ and _clacks_ beating an erratic tattoo against the walls and doors of the ship.

Yaz swallowed tightly. “This one’s a lost cause then?”

The Doctor pressed her lips together and flicked her gaze to meet Yaz’s. “We can’t help these people,” she said after a moment. “I don’t even know if there’s anyone left.”

“We tried, though,” Yaz said in a small voice. 

The Doctor closed her eyes again, pressing down, fingers slippery with blood, on her stomach. “Yes,” she said. “We tried.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at [petercapaldish](http://petercapaldish.tumblr.com/), if you like.


End file.
